"Data from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft along with satellite imagery and various intensity estimates indicate that Florence has weakened instead of strengthening".

Row upon row of empty shelves are visible in CNN news footage, as residents threatened by mega-storm Hurricane Florence stockpile essentials including food, water and batteries.

"I'm not going to put our personnel in harm's way, especially for people that we've already told to evacuate", Wrightsville Beach police chief Dan House said.

The latest forecast by the National Hurricane Center for rainfall from Florence predicts between 1 and 4 inches for NY and CT.

Hurricane Florence is nearing the southeast US coast, and the National Hurricane Center is providing frequent updates about the storm's movements. The power company has warned that up to 3 million people could be left without power for an extended period of time following Hurricane Florence.

An intense wave, as well as heavy rains, will announce on Thursday on the coast of Las Carolinas, the arrival of Florence.

But forecasters have warned that the widening storm - and its likelihood of lingering around the coast day after day - will bring seawater surging onto land and torrential downpours.

Tornadoes also remain a threat, particularly in areas northeast of the hurricane's eye.

USA emergency officials have warned "time is running out" for people to escape from Hurricane Florence as outer bands of wind and rain began lashing North Carolina. Its forward movement slowed to 12 miles per hour (19 kph) and top sustained winds stayed at 110 miles per hour (175 kph). According to forecasters, the center of Florence is expected to hit North Carolina's southern coast Friday, then drift southwest before moving inland on Saturday.

"I've never seen the president and all these other people talk the way they're talking", he said while waiting for an evacuation bus.

Brenda Bethune told NBC's "Today" show Thursday morning that public safety crews have been checking to make sure businesses are secure, and looking for anything that could become a projectile as the winds come ashore.

Gov. Henry McMaster has ordered the evacuation of most of the state's coastline as the storm approaches.

"The shelters are not taking dogs", Ramirez said.

Antonio Ramirez, a construction worker from El Salvador living in Leland, North Carolina, said he planned to ride out the storm with his dog Canelo.

"It certainly is a challenge forecasting precise impacts when its exact track won't be known until a day in advance", Landsea said: There's "a huge difference" in the size and type of damage Florence inflicts if it stays 50 miles off shore versus heading inland immediately.

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